Trinity bristle snail

The Trinity bristle snail (Monadenia setosa) is a species of medium-sized land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Monadeniidae.

Monadenia setosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
Suborder:
Eupulmonata
Infraorder:
Stylommatophora
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Panpulmonata
clade Eupulmonata
clade Stylommatophora
informal group Sigmurethra
Superfamily:
Helicoidea
Family:
Monadeniidae
Genus:
Monadenia
Species:
M. setosa
Binomial name
Monadenia setosa
(Talmadge, 1952)
Synonyms

Monadenia infumata setosa

Description

The Trinity bristle snail attains a body length of approximately 2.5 cm. It is brown or chestnut-colored and covered with minuscule, translucent bristles, which give the species its common name.[2]

Distribution and habitat

This species is endemic to California. This snail is found in northwestern Trinity County, along the Trinity River, up some of its tributaries and into the Corral Bottom area. It has a healthy population within its territory. It likes cool, wet, shady riparian zones, and prefers areas with a deciduous understory.[3]

Ecology

The Trinity bristle snail is dependent on cool, moist conditions, and therefore it is only active at night. It spends warmer parts of the day stuck to shady areas on tree trunks, and in especially warm parts of the summer it may not move for days. When conditions are cool enough it feeds on lichen and the tender parts of green plants. The snail has a lifespan of over ten years, and may not reach full size for nearly that long. It is subject to predation by beetles and possibly rodents.[3]

Survival threats

The species appears dependent on riparian habitats, and especially likes bigleaf maples (Acer macrophyllum), eating the leaves that are decomposing at the base of the trees(from observations during field work by Forest Service employee Gay Berrien who was involved with locating the snails during initial research in 1980). There have been no studies that show it ever occupied a larger area than it does now--much of the northwestern portion of Trinity County. At the edges of its territory it has been known to cross with others of the Monadenia genus {"Trinity Bristle Snail Not Big Bar Exclusive," Klam-Ity Kourier, Willow Creek, California, July 23, 1980}

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References
  1. Roth, B. (1996). "Monadesia setosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996. Retrieved 26 September 2015.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. "Monadenia infumata setosa". NatureServe Explorer.
  3. Roth, B.; Pressley, P. H. (1986). "Observations on the range and natural history of Monadenia setosa (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) in the Klamath Mountains, California, and the taxonomy of some related species" (PDF). Veliger. 29 (2): 169–182.

"Monadenia setosa". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 26 September 2015.

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